Chapter 1 - Ellis Island Immigration Center, July 1896

Twenty thousand people in one great hall. It was amazing that he hadn't already gone deaf.

"Next!", he called and took an new empty form from the pile on his desk, a blank slate if you will.

The new candidate was a young man in tidy but old, well-worn clothes.

"You are from the Sicilia too, am I right?", he asked referring to the ship that had arrived this morning. His translator, Tim, asked the question in german.

"Ja", was the answer.

Okay, he quickly scribbled the name of the ship while already asking the next question, two minutes was too goddamn few. "Age?"

Tim and the new arrival exchanged a few wild sounding words. "Eighteen"

"Okay, Name? First name, surname."

Tim asked in german.

"Lukas Laut.", came the answer from the boy.

"Lukas Laut.", Tim repeated for him, but he had already scribbled down the name: Lucas Loud.